Could going gluten-free boost your brainpower?

• Landmark study reveals diet ‘reduces fatigue, increases energy levels’ • Spoonful of sugar is secret to athletic success, researchers find
NEW research has suggested going ‘gluten free’ can also boost concentration and help you think more clearly.

Research released Monday suggests adopting a gluten-free diet can reduce fatigue and increase energy levels.

It can also lessen bloating, flatulence and fatigue because it leads to a healthier nutritional intake, the study by Aberdeen University’s Rowett Institute of Nutrition and Health.

Reshaping your diet to remove gluten was also found to lead to it containing more fibre and reduces salt consumption, which reduces blood cholesterol and glucose.

The ‘Going Gluten Free’ study is the largest of its kind in the United Kingdom (UK), found using the diet can make you healthier.

It was equally by the university, the government and Genius Foods.

They asked 95 adults, made up of 64 women and 31 men, to adopt a gluten-free diet for three weeks and then to return to their ‘normal’ diet for the same period.

Those involved in the study, who had an average age of 38 and a BMI of 24.8, found stomach cramps and rumbles were reduced and their fatigue levels were lower during the gluten-free spell.

It also found evidence that gluten intolerance not only exists for those with coeliac disease, but for others too.

Coeliac disease is a digestive condition where a person has an adverse reaction to gluten, causing intestinal damage.

For those living with coeliac disease, eating foods containing gluten can trigger a range of symptoms, such as diarrhoea, abdominal pain and nausea.

It is thought to affect one in every 100 people in the UK, with less severe cases often being missed or misdiagnosed.

The study, part-funded by the government’s Technology Strategy Board which supports the development of innovative technologies and products, also found vitamin B12 and folate remained stable during the gluten-fee period, suggesting participants were not taking in fewer vitamins.

Meanwhile, ditching some sports drinks for a spoonful of sugar could make exercise easier for weary marathon runners and long distance athletes.

Researchers at the University of Bath say that stirring table sugar into a water bottle before a big physical event could be the difference between success and failure.

The research was published in the American Journal of Physiology – Endocrinology & Metabolism.